Q&A for How to Troubleshoot an Amp

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Why are my amps and subs cutting out and not working?

Community Answer

Check your amp manual and make sure you followed the setup instructions. If your amp's gain is set too high, then it can cause your subs to cut out, especially when turned up. Also, check your sub's frequency range and make sure your amp is set according to the sub's specifications.

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Question

How do I tell if my amp is broken?

Community Answer

It will not power on after all your connections are checked. You will have to check all fuses and ground and remote wires.

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Question

I got an amp and sub installed professionally. After awhile, the amp started cutting out, and to fix it, I have to take the fuse out and put it back in. What could be the problem?

Community Answer

This could be a lot of things: a bad amp, a bad electrical connection somewhere, an electrical cable speaker, RCA, or power shorting out somewhere on metal; etc. Your best bet is to do a process of elimination. Start by disconnecting the speaker wires one at a time and see if the amp cuts out. If not, try the RCA cable, and then check continuity with a multimeter on the power, ground, RCA, speaker wires, etc. If this was professionally installed, you should be able to take it back to them free of charge for them to diagnose it.

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Question

Is there only supposed to be one thick, red wire for power?

Community Answer

Yes. There is only supposed to be one wire from a battery with a fuse in a fuse holder.

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Question

What if the amp only works with a wire connected from REM to the battery?

Community Answer

The REM contact on the amp is the remote power-on control, and is used to turn the amp on and off by a switch. As the main power wires need to be very heavy to deliver full power to the amp, placing a switch in the power wires would require a very heavy switch, and they would need to be routed to the dash area as well. The REM wire can be very thin, as it doesn't carry the heavy current the amp is powered with, and therefore a small switch and wires routed to the dash are fine. Remember to include fuses in both the main power wire and the remote wire to protect against shorts and fire.

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Question

Does my bass controller have to work in order for my amp to play sound?

Community Answer

You can hook it up and see, but if it's broken in the low position, then your output will be low. If it's broke in the high position, then you'll get distortion.

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Question

How do I determine voltage on my amp?

Community Answer

You will need a multimeter or other tool that measures DC voltage. You will want the 20 volt setting on the mutimeter, with the red probe set to positive, and the black probe set to the negative terminal. Check it with the car off, then on. If you are asking how many amps your amplifier is putting out you will need to use an ampere meter.

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Question

If the power is on my amp it's not going in proration mode and there is just no sound going to my subwoofer, what's the problem?

Community Answer

The amp/speakers/RCA is wired wrong, or in the wrong input. RCAs from the receiver could be in an output RCA jack, or you could have a bad amp, blown speakers, bad RCA cables, it could be many things. You will have to go through a troubleshooting process to check this.

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Question

Why does my subwoofer produce unwanted additional sound?

Quinton Mitchell

Community Answer

It could be bad RCA cables or not grounded properly. Check all RCA cables and other wiring.

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Question

If my stereo only has one RCA output and the amp has two, then what do I do?

Quinton Mitchell

Community Answer

Just use the one RCA. Your amplifier is most likely a mono block, meaning one channel.

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